Chicago alderman to Chick-fil-A: I demand that you clarify your stance on donating to anti-SSM groups

posted at 4:41 pm on September 24, 2012 by Allahpundit

Not content with telling anyone who’ll listen that the company’s building permit depends upon them conforming to his political views, he’s now gone ahead and put it in writing. In fairness to him, I don’t understand their current position either. As noted on Friday, apparently they promised this guy initially that they’d no longer donate to groups “with political agendas”; whether that was rhetorical sleight of hand or whether someone at the top later had a change of heart is unclear, but their latest statement insisted that “Chick-fil-A made no such concessions, and we remain true to who we are and who we have been.” Either Moreno’s flatly lying about what they said to him or the company’s official position is “in flux” at CFA HQ.

Moreno’s full statement:

Dan Cathy decided to make a PUBLIC statement to Mike Huckabee that, at the least, muddied the progress we had made with Chick-fil-A and, at the worst, contradicted the documents and promises Chick-fil-A made to me and the community earlier this month. Since Mr.Cathy made a PUBLIC statement, I am PUBLICLY asking him to confirm and support what I was told and shown by his company representatives.

1. For the FIRST TIME in the company’s history the company wrote and distributed a document to all of its employees titled, “Chick-fil-A: Who We Are” that guarantees that the company and its employees will “treat every person with honor, dignity and respect- regardless of their beliefs, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender.”

2. I am asking him to PUBLICLY confirm and support a letter that was voluntarily given to me by his company executives earlier this year that states the future behavior of Chick-fil-A’s not for profit arm, The WinShape Foundation. The letter states that, “The WinShape Foundation is now taking a much closer look at the organizations it considers helping, and in that process will remain true to its stated philosophy of not supporting organizations with political agendas.” We were told that these organizations included groups that politically work against the rights of gay and lesbian people.

3. I am also asking him to PUBLICLY confirm and support what Chick-fil-A executives voluntarily told and confirmed to me earlier this month— that Chick-fil-A, and its not for profit arm WinShape, in 2012 has not and will not donate to entities with political agendas, including organizations that politically work against the rights of gay and lesbian people.

Mr Cathy continues to not confirm to the press what his company executives have told and showed me. This is disturbing. Since Mr. Cathy wants to confuse people, he needs to publicly confirm the three components described above, which allowed us to move forward. I am simply asking Mr. Cathy to confirm statements and documents that HIS company exectuives provided to me. It is pretty simple, Mr. Cathy. Do you acknowledge and support the policies that your exectuives outlined to me in writing or do you not? Yes or no? If not, Chick Fil A is a business that practices irresponsible, and potentially illegal, business standards.

Perhaps Mr. Cathy felt that he could make these public statements to Mike Huckabee because I had provided a letter of support for his restaurant to the City of Chicago earlier this week. I provided this letter based on the progress we had made with Chick-fil-A. I still need to introduce legislation to make the Chick-fil-A in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago a reality. I will wait to see what Mr. Cathy’s next PUBLIC statement is, and reflect on that statement before moving forward with appropriate legislation.

Emphases mine. In other words, if CFA thought they could make an empty promise and then break it as soon as they got the building permit, they moved too soon: Moreno hasn’t blessed the permit yet. They’ve got three options now, as I see it. One: If he really has sunk to lying about what they told him, they need to call him on it — loudly. I realize that being in the political spotlight could be bad for business but they shouldn’t let false accusations from some imperious state functionary go unanswered. Two: Confirm that they told him originally that they’d change their donation habits but have now had a change of heart and are dropping their request for a permit in his ward. This doesn’t have to be framed as caving to his demands; it could be an expression of disgust that he’d attempt to strong-arm them and a principled refusal to play by such corrupt rules. Just walk away. Why give this cretin the satisfaction of exercising his quasi-royal prerogative of nullifying their right to build over a grudge? Three: Sue him on First Amendment grounds now that they have evidence in writing that the permit’s being withheld due to viewpoint discrimination. They might not win — a court might blanch at the thought of overriding a legislator’s discretion by ordering him to submit a bill in the city council — but even if they don’t, the PR value of being seen as free-speech martyrs should offset some or all of the business discomfort of remaining in the thick of the culture wars over gay marriage.

Exit question: The Atlantic notes that the company’s latest statement said Chick-fil-A hasn’t made any concessions but didn’t say that the WinShape Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the company that’s responsible for making its charitable contributions, hasn’t made any. Is that the sleight of hand here? CFA proper will go on donating to whoever it likes — but not CFA’s charity? Hmmm.

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There are plenty of other wards in Chicago (in even better neighborhoods) whose aldermen have already said they’d welcome Chik-fil-A with open arms.

IMO, Moreno is a lying weasel, trying to look like the typical macho Chicago thug, having the upper hand, twisting the arm until you hear a bone crack. If he’s attempting to imitate the great and powerful Rahmbo, he’s just missing the knife to stab the table with. If he has documentation or recordings (which are known to happen in Chicago politricks) backing up his claim, then he should release them, otherwise just STFU.

A same-sex marriage proposal was just overwhelmingly defeated in Australia. The gay militants have manipulated a few deceptive polls to give the false impression that the world is warming up to gay marriage.
Even many conservatives seem to be thinking that we should just avoid the issue. But the gay issue, and O’s unpopular position on it, is our ticket to victory. Take it.

You really think it would make a difference though? I haven’t really gotten the impression that most people cared more than just a surface level interest. And sales haven’t been hurt that I know of.

However, if they make a move that looks like caving, they could easily lose some of the support they’ve had all this time. I don’t remember this working out well for Komen when they tried something similar.

Esthier on September 24, 2012 at 6:03 PM

If Cathay continues to donate to groups like Focus on the Family and NOM, it wouldn’t be caving. Keeping the CFA value proposition focused on their core product (good food, good price), rather than adding in a layer of political questions allows them reach a bigger customer base.

You don’t reason with ‘people’ like this. You use legal force. Destroy them legally, personally (read: reputation) and financially. Turn their ruin into a monument to stupidity.

Chick-fil-A could crush this moron if they so desired. They should do the country a favor and do so.

avgjo on September 24, 2012 at 7:02 PM

This. Publicly humiliate the slimeball and force the city to defend the indefensible.

If not, Chick Fil A is a business that practices irresponsible, and potentially illegal, business standards.

Well, that’s just precious coming from an extortionist.

I will wait to see what Mr. Cathy’s next PUBLIC statement is, and reflect on that statement before moving forward with appropriate legislation.

Really? You’re honestly going to move forward with legislation that will single-handedly give CFA’s legal team exhibit one in a lawsuit.

Hell, they wouldn’t even have to call a witness to win. It would be sweet for CFA to win a $10million judgement against the City of Thugs and then give every damn dime of it to a traditional marriage organization.

If Cathay continues to donate to groups like Focus on the Family and NOM, it wouldn’t be caving. Keeping the CFA value proposition focused on their core product (good food, good price), rather than adding in a layer of political questions allows them reach a bigger customer base.

dedalus on September 24, 2012 at 7:37 PM

Then pro-gay agenda companies should focus on their products too and keep quiet about their causes?

If Cathay continues to donate to groups like Focus on the Family and NOM, it wouldn’t be caving. Keeping the CFA value proposition focused on their core product (good food, good price), rather than adding in a layer of political questions allows them reach a bigger customer base.

dedalus on September 24, 2012 at 7:37 PM

Would you give this advice to companies like Amazon and Starbucks who are openly supporting gay marriage. Or do you have a bias?

If Cathay continues to donate to groups like Focus on the Family and NOM, it wouldn’t be caving. Keeping the CFA value proposition focused on their core product (good food, good price), rather than adding in a layer of political questions allows them reach a bigger customer base.

dedalus on September 24, 2012 at 7:37 PM

How medicated or educated into imbecility do you have to be to make such an obtuse and downright stupid comment?

Would you give this advice to companies like Amazon and Starbucks who are openly supporting gay marriage. Or do you have a bias?

melle1228 on September 24, 2012 at 8:39 PM

Those companies have to deal with the negative consequences for their brand. I’m sure they studied it. I’d have told them to be cautious and focus on continuing to make their product better. Leave the social causes to others.

Either Moreno’s flatly lying about what they said to him or the company’s official position is “in flux” at CFA HQ.

I think I’d go with option A.

Seriously, what’s hard about this? The Chicago alderman has no power to do what he says he will do, and could be sued if he actually tried. Of course he’s going to try to save face when his bluster fails, then get all outraged and claim he was lied to when his target doesn’t back up his BS.

Predictable, really.

I’m not saying that Chick-Fil-A didn’t try to smooth over their differences. But I wouldn’t expect any more than 5% of what the thug claims to have any correlation to the truth.

Three: Sue him on First Amendment grounds now that they have evidence in writing that the permit’s being withheld due to viewpoint discrimination. They might not win — a court might blanch at the thought of overriding a legislator’s discretion by ordering him to submit a bill in the city council

Sorry, but a legislator doesn’t HAVE any discretion when it comes to the First Amendment. This should be an easy lawsuit – and it should bankrupt poor Alderman Moreno. It should threaten to further bankrupt the city of Chicago.

I have to admit to being less noble than the CFA folks. I would have a press conference to respond to the Alderman’s charges and reply with nothing more than a few gestures (from across the diverse cultures of our beautiful land), all of which would simply repeat the message of the first one: nInn.